1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to percussion instruments and particularly to a musical instrument foot pedal, which uses a pair of magnets, one under the foot pedal and one on the base below the foot pedal, and the magnetic repulsion therebetween to return the pedal to its original position after having been depressed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The basic drum-kit consists of several drums, most of which are played by means of a stick in each hand, and a bass drum and cymbals and sometimes other percussion instruments which are played by depressing a foot pedal to swing a hammer to strike the drum or other percussion instrument or to pull down one cymbal on top of another to clang them together. The return mechanism on conventional pedals includes a spring, which supplies the force to return the pedal to its original position after having been depressed. The spring in such arrangements have often contributed unwanted metallic noises and interfere in the foot operation while playing.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,819,536, issued Apr. 11, 1989 to Lombardi, claims a foot-operated, bass drum pedal assembly including: a base in the form of a metal plate, a first drum beater, a support for the beater mounted on the base, and a pedal pivotally mounted to the base and operatively connected to the beater to pivot same as the pedal is pivoted by the drummer's foot, and structure (magnet on the pedal and Hall Effect Sensor on the base) located proximate the pedal to sense downward movement of the pedal to predetermined downward position, and to produce an electrical signal usable to effect production of phenomena corresponding to a drum beat. A single magnet was used on the bass drum foot pedal, but with a sensor on the base, not another magnet, and a spring lifts the pedal after pressing down.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,967,523, issued Jul. 6, 1976 to Currier, describes a power driven drum beater, which is controlled by means of a foot pedal. The pedal device serves to close an electrical circuit for the actuation of a pivoted solenoid actuated beater mounted on a rod. The foot pedal is further pivotable enabling an electrical contact on the underside thereof to be brought into a desired position along a resistance selector for driving the beater with variable speed or intensity and at a variable rate. The pedal return solenoid is disposed beneath the foot rest and is connected in said electrical circuit means for simulating the rebound or kickback of a conventional non-electric drum beater.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 6,684,734, issued Feb. 3, 2004 to Gatzen, provides a pedal assembly for a bass drum or for high hat cymbals. The pedal assembly has a flat base plate with a resilient pedal board clamped to it, with the pedal board inclined to receive a foot. A beater stick is connected with the toe end of the pedal board by a linkage that drives the beater stick against a bass drum when the pedal is depressed. The resiliency of the pedal board returns it to its normal position when foot pressure is withdrawn. A striker pad limits the depression of the pedal board to limit the force that the beater stick can apply to the drum.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,186,644, issued Feb. 5, 1980 to Kurosaki, shows a foot pedal assembly for drums, which comprises a rocker cam for holding a beater head and a resilient belt or strap for operationally connecting the rocker cam to an inclined foot pedal are coupled to each other via meshing engagement by cooperating indentations formed on mating surfaces of the two members. Tensile strength of the belt or strap is remarkably enhanced by fortifying members such as steel wires or glass fibers longitudinally embedded in the belt or strap. Stress concentration on a set screw for fixing the belt or strap to the rocker cam can be avoided, permanent strain of the belt or strap after long use is divided into mutually incumulative small fragments and reliable coupling between the belt or strap and the rocker cam assures fair conversion of foot action into beater head movement without undesirable metallic noises.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,235,146, issued Nov. 25, 1980 to Purdy, claims a bass drum pedal assembly that includes a foot pedal for operating a beater head, the foot pedal including a foot plate which is slidably mounted on a support coupled to the beater head and which is biased towards a rest position. In use, the player depresses the foot pedal and can, at the same time, slide the foot plate forward against its biasing. At the end of a stroke, the pedal returns upwardly and the foot plate is returned to its rest position by said biasing means.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,802, issued Aug. 7, 1990 to Ruprecht, discloses a pneumatic return for foot pedals associated with percussion instruments, such as bass drums and hi-hat stands. The assembly permits adjustable mounting of a drum beater bar, foot pedal and drive chain while providing automatic return of the pedal to a neutral position by means of gas compressed upon depression of the pedal. Gas pressure within the pneumatic return mechanism is also adjustable. There is further optionally provided a substantially identical pneumatic unit for damping the return movement of both the drum pedal and hi-hat stand.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,710, issued Jun. 4, 1985 to Elliott, Jr., indicates two pedal assemblies, for drum and cymbals, mounted together or usable separately. The drum pedal assembly has an inherent escapement mechanism. A drum beater is suspended from a shaft, which is rotated by downward movement of the foot pedal. After rotation to strike a drum, the drum beater returns to its rest position under the action of gravity once the downward force on the pedal is removed. The assembly is designed such that the drum beater counter-balances the foot pedal, decreasing the need for a spring typically employed to provide the escapement or return force. However, for faster return action, a secondary escapement force may be provided by an elastic band suspended between frame posts, which support the shaft. As the drum beater is rotated into the strike position, the elastic band is stretched into a bowed configuration.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 6,166,312, issued Dec. 26, 2000 to Brewster, puts forth a pedal operated drum beater device, which comprises a pedal and a drum beater mounted on shaft. The pedal is coupled to shaft by such that depressing the pedal causes the shaft to rotate, advancing the drum beater from a rest position to an operative position. The downward movement of the pedal is opposed by the resilience of elastomeric strip, which stretches and bends as the drum beater moves into the operative position. The device is attached to a drum by drum clamp, formed in two parts, which consist of a drum-mounted rim clamp and a device-mounted, clamp holder. The rim clamp and clamp holder are releasably interlockable through pivotal engagement.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 3,797,356, issued Mar. 19, 1974 to Duffy, illustrates a linkage for a foot-operated bass drum pedal in which the conventional leather strip interconnecting the toe end of the pedal and a tranversely mounted shaft carrying means for securing the pivoting end of the drumstick is replaced by a sprocket chain engaging a sprocket on said shaft. Coarse adjustment of the length of the stroke is obtained by shifting the mounting means on the shaft. Fine adjustment is obtained by shifting the end point of the chain with respect to the particular teeth engaged on the sprocket. The last link of the sprocket end of the chain is secured by pintel or cotter keys extended through one of a plurality of transversely extending holes located at the periphery of the socket adjacent the inner end of the teeth thereof. There is also provided a vertically disposed coil spring, the lower end of which has a threaded tensioning means. The contraction of the spring serves to return the pedal to a position of readiness for subsequent operation.
Prior art U.S. Pat. No. 4,965,417, issued Oct. 23, 1990 to Massie, provides a control mechanism adapted for actuation by a human, in the exemplary embodiment by a person's foot. The invention provides for control or actuation of a plurality of devices to be controlled. A plurality of control elements, preferably arranged arcuately with respect to an actuating member is provided with a structure for accurately indexing the actuating member to a particular control element by way of one mode of movement and for actuating an individual indexed control element of a second mode of movement. Particular structure is provided, by way of a foot pedal, in the exemplary embodiment, with particular adjustments so as to adapt the actuating member, that is, the foot pedal, to various sizes and positions of an operator's foot, as well as amplitude of actuating movement.
Prior art U.S. Patent Application No. 20030148853, published Aug. 7, 2003 by Alessandri, describes an apparatus for physical exercise with magnetic interaction between its parts. The physical exercise apparatus for recreational, rehabilitative, gymnastic or sports purposes comprises at least one mobile part and at least one support part, interacting by means of field forces generated by magnetic fields inserted between relative parts of which the apparatus is made.
What is needed is a percussion instrument pedal with a pair of opposing magnets using magnetically opposing force fields to lift the pedal silently and smoothly after depression of the pedal by the foot of the musician.